Stock Assistant Job Description and Responsibilities

The stock assistant is in charge of taking care that there is no lack of merchandise in the shop. Even if they do not work in the shop like the sales assistants and they do not interact with clients, they do not hold a less important position. On the contrary; if it was not for the stock assistants, there would be no products at all, and the sales assistants would have a much harder job. This way, the duties are split and everyone ensures the profits of the shops more safely.

The stock assistant is there when the merchandise arrives, making sure it is ok for it to be sent into the shop and then they put the price tags on it, and put in the store on the shelves. The products are arranged depending on the category they belong to: the food items (the cans are in a different place than the fresh food), and then the cosmetics or the cleaning products. In clothing shops, the clothing that is more popular is added into the shop first.

After receiving the products, the stock assistant decides which products are good to be sold and which ones need to be sent back; the ones that are sent back require some paperwork before being sent back to the store's suppliers. The stock assistant is also in charge of these documents.

The shop assistant needs to be able to carry around and lift medium heavy to very heavy products; therefore, they need to be strong, healthy and fit. This job is of course more prone to work related injuries like muscle strains.

Skills required

To be a stock attendant, you need to be organized and to be able to work fast. You have to be able to pay attention to all the merchandise that goes in and out of the shop, because you are the one that ensures the good function of the warehouse and the shops.

Responsibilities

The stock attendant keeps a business relation with the suppliers and always lets them know what items are missing from the warehouse or what items are about to end as well as what products are in excess. This is not one of the jobs where a close relationship with the store's clients is needed. However, the store clerk needs to be able to keep the shop assistants updated on what products they still have in stock in case of an apparel shop, they have to provide information on color or sizing availability of a certain clothing item, if requested.

The training that stock assistants need is usually done when they get hired, by being supervised by a manager or a more experience stock assistant. It is not a very complicated job to do; it can be however tiresome because of the long working hours and the physical strain put on the body.